Fire and Demon: Everlasting Bonds
by DemonicAngelGREED
Summary: 2nd in Bonds Verse. Carter was merely an obsession to begin with but somehow through time he became so much more and soon Ryan found that the red ranger was the thing he needed more than anything: his Savior.
1. Interests are Dangerous

__**Right, here it is the second installment of the Bonds verse centering on the relationship between Ryan and Carter because i think this pairing is just too cute for words. It was a bit of work to write this chapter because well...Ryan was raised by demons! But considering all of that i think i was able to build a good foundation for the rest of the plot-which might go a bit AU fair warning-so enjoy.  
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_**Chapter: 1-Prowl**_

Being raised by demons meant that as he grew up Ryan was taught about the more animalistic sides to the human world, and when he was just a child hardly young enough to remember such lessons he learnt about the animals that watched their prey from the shadows and followed them silently from behind until they found the perfect time to strike: it was called prowling. He liked to prowl he found it made him feel even less of a human and more like a demon or at least an animal like his family were made to look like. As a child he liked this lesson and so he honed it into his most valued and famous weapon.

When he grew up and got a little older so that he was a skilled hunter in the art of stealth and prowling after his prey Ryan learnt that within demon society one would normal search for a mate in the same was as he searched for their prey: quiet and within the shadows while they just observed. This of course made no sense to the young boy of the tender age of eleven, his master had found his own mate by walking up and killing his challenger for her and had claimed her as his queen, what would prowling for one do? As a child he forgot this lesson as he deemed it unnecessary and focused on the harder aspects of his training.

It wasn't until he saw the red ranger: one Carter Grayson that Ryan realized the reason why some Demons observed their mates before they tried to claim them. When he first saw the male from his hiding spot in the shadow he had been enchanted with the male in red: by the way he held himself and the way he walked and found himself silently following the other so that he could get to know the other better and then form his plan in the same way he would a battle.

Time slowly rolled on and slowly but surely Ryan began to notice things about the strange red ranger who had caught his attention so quickly: he saw that he liked to stare out in the sunset one clear days and would rather take an injury for a teammate rather than allow them get harmed. When he himself had realized just how far Carter's loyalties ran he found himself noticing that the red ranger would have made a very good demon, what with his inner strength and fierce battle presence Ryan could see him as a good warrior and would have been proud to battle alongside him.

A month after he had begun his 'prowling' Ryan had been found out by his fellow clan mates who had saw him shadowing the red ranger and had questioned his motives stating that the red ranger was for their master to kill and no one else. He had held nothing back when they had told him that: no one was the harm Carter to the point of death not even Master: if Carter died then he couldn't watch his eyes sparkle in excitement or watch him ignore his own Master's orders because it didn't suit him at that moment in time.

He had made that clear when he had gripped the young demon around the throat and squeezed the life out of him to the point where he was wheezing in fear for what he had been sure was his oncoming death and he had snarled loudly "What I do with the Grayson is my business: do not interfere"

After that moment all the other demons had left the Carter situation alone: even Vipra! Which had left him to watch his interest growing in strength every day, and then of course he had stolen the Titanium morpher and used it to make himself strong as well. While he had always known that he had been strong and had been highly trained to kill there was just something about the power that flowed through him when he morphed that made his bond with the titanium morpher addictive and made him morph time after time without a second thought as to what he was doing: it may or may not have had something to do with the fact when he did he got to fight Carter up close like he had dreamt about so many times while he had prowled after him silently.

"Ryan you don't need to do this" the pink ranger always seemed to like screaming at me at the most annoying moments and if it was up to him he would just kill the infuriating blonde and be done with it: but he wasn't stupid, he had spent weeks prowling around the team and observing the relationships he held with his little fire fighter and he wasn't blind to the one he had with the young pink ranger.

The two of them had a sibling like relationship-although he could see that the blonde female wanted something more with the red ranger-and Carter cared for her greatly meaning that he couldn't harm her in fear of alienating any chance he had of enchanting the leader as he had been. Because now after fighting him u close Ryan knew that he could never let the red ranger leave him and wanted some sort of bond with the male: even if it was just the bond that the young female Mitchell had with him.

One day though he had been training with his master to help control his new powers a little easier when he had found out that Vipra had sent one of her poisonous minions after Carter and had infected him with a deadly poison that while it wouldn't kill him-even she had been a bit afraid of his show when the squid demon had taunted him earlier-would cause him extreme pain and keep him bed ridden for weeks so that the team would be weaken without their leader making them an easier target. When he heard this the first thing he had felt was blind cold fury flowing through his veins like ice at the idea of Vipra hurting his Carter when suddenly he realized that maybe this was a good thing so he had found the poisonous demon and asked about her poison.

"Why would you want to know Ryan" She said drawling out his name while raping her claws on her forearm while giving him a highly amused glance "It's not like it's gonna kill him or anything: just cause him a bit of suffering that's all"

When the demoness said this so flippantly as if Hurting his red ranger was nothing so special or punishment worthy-and while it wasn't technically it wouldn't have stopped Ryan from harming her anyway-Ryan had to stop himself from lashing out and striking the loyal warrior, but he had reigned in his reactions and instead bared his canines in a feral smile which he knew all the demons-female and male-found flattering and decided to play it charming instead. "Because if I know how long it's going to take for him to get better then I can formulate a plan to get him to trust me: trust us" he said like it was obvious.

Vipra stared at him in awe and shock at his initiative and then nodded quickly before yelling for the demon that poisoned Carter to come to her immediately and then painfully made him tell him about the poison-probably hurting the ugly snake demon more pain then was really necessary but who was Ryan to judge it was her demon warrior. "It will fully leave his systems in nine days" the snake demon squealed when Vipra dug her claws into his hide drawing small drops of his ugly black blood.

Nine days Ryan thought as Vipra let her warrior go with a fond pat to his head and a quick thank you, he had nine days to convince Carter that the demons would help him and weren't his enemies: he could do it he'd done harder things in less time. "Well that is plenty of time" he commented as his plan formulated in his head.

The viper demoness eyes him for a moment and then sighed in a bored manner as if she was tired of the topic of conversation "Whatever Ryan, just don't get yourself killed" she said drily "I'd hate to have to tell Master that you got yourself killed because of a crush: and one on a human at that"

Smirking at the concern he heard coming from the Vipra's voice Ryan nodded and then cocked his head to the side "I think you're forgetting something" he said his voice dark and dangerous "I don't die" he growled when the viper demon arched her eyebrow. Rolling her eyes at the younger man's enthusiasm Vipra waved the other off and the strut down the halls of their base towards her chambers not even bothering to check if Ryan was moving or leaving the base as was her duty.

Grinning in excitement as his plan to form in his head Ryan lept from the base and used all the prowling skills and stealth abilities he possessed so that he could once again sneak onto the Lightspeed Rescue base-seriously they needed much better security measures-and quickly found Carter's room and let himself in silently when he was sure he wasn't caught on any cameras. When he spotted the usually fit and handsome red ranger on the bed he felt his breath catch at how weak the other looked.

Pale, breathing shallow, shaking and sweaty bullets this Carter Grayson was not the same Carter Grayson that he fought on the battlefield or prowled after for weeks: this Carter Grayson was weak and helpless, he was vulnerable and could be killed at any moment: hell if he wanted to he could kill him and the red ranger would never know any different: but that was not what he was there for, no he had something a lot more different in mind, because how would killing the fire fighter help his plight or his mission to get Carter to see demons as the true species?

Taking a quick glance of the room Carter laid in Ryan snorted at the bareness he had and then looked down at the man on the bed and easily swept him up into his arms sniffing the males scent carefully to see how far along the toxin was in his blood. When he inhaled enough Ryan could tell that the poison only just set in which meant he had nine whole days to get Carter to fall into his trap. Smiling as his plan came into action the demon raised child holstered the red ranger into his arms, when Carter nuzzled into his chest affectionately Ryan didn't even try to stop it when his smile turned feral.

Then using the skills he had been honing since he was a little child and he had learnt that the animals of this earth had most beautiful skills then the humans did, and then perfected into a great and feared weapon Ryan managed to get Carter out of the base unnoticed where he then broke into a run until he reach a cave he had prepared earlier for his plan and laid the red ranger on the ground carefully making sure he was positioned on the moss he had gathered as not to harm his back.

Brushing back a sweaty bang that had stuck to his forehead during his run Ryan smiled down at the handsome man in front of him warmly "Don't worry Carter: I'm gonna take care of you" he whispered leaning down next to the others ear as his eyes turned dark and his smile turned wicked "And then you'll see that it's the demons you should be working for"

With that he sat up and began humming a lullaby that he had been taught when he was younger and learning how to prowl the first time, thinking back to that time Ryan remembered when he was told that a predator that prowled and used stealth to attack his opponents had a higher chance of getting their prey then say someone who had a head on attack. Glancing down at Carter who was moaning softly in pain while sleeping Ryan couldn't help but notice that his tutor had been right: when it came to getting what one wanted: Stealth and Speed always won over brute strength because it was all due to his prowling that he had been able to get his prize.

**Well how was the second fic?**


	2. How Bout a Little Poison Between Friends

**Well here is chapter two...kinda strange that I've actually gotten this far with this, normally i get bored with these type of projects, but can you believe it I've sorted out the rest of the other couples in the bonds verse-there will be ten fics all up and ten different pairings-the rest of this storyline is plotted out and i am now searching for my next one-I'll reveal the next pairing around chapter six so don't fea****r. **

**Thank you to all my lovely followers and all the support I've been given through this project it is you lovely people who help me continue with my work and aim to please you all. **

_**Chapter**** 2-Hero**_

Ryan was going to kill Vypra. It was easy and simple as that, no complicated things to work out or shift through: he was going to hunt her down and rip her apart. Two days ago he had taken Carter Grayson from the Lightspeed Rescue base to 'save' him from a poison that the viper demoness had injected into his body during the last fight the red ranger had participated in. when he had confronted the poisonous demon before he put his plan into motion he had been reassured that the toxin that his fiery ranger had been infected with wasn't fatal and that he would recover with little to no observations needed.

Yet he had been watching over the sick ranger-who and yet to be conscious long enough to even see who his hero was-Ryan wasn't even game enough to take his eyes off him for a few minutes afraid that if he did then the other ranger would die and then everything he had wanted would disappear right in front of his eyes. So he sat by Carter's side constantly dosing in and out of quick micro naps so that he didn't collapse in exhaustion when the red ranger finally did begin to show signs of getting better.

If he was though Ryan would hate to see what he was like when he was sick, the red ranger had a raging fever that didn't seem like it was going to break anytime soon which meant he was constantly sweating and Ryan had to have a bowl of cool water constantly by his side so he keep his head cool with a wet cloth. What was scaring Ryan the most thought was the stuttered and hacking breath he had which made his precious breath hitch; every time he heard that dangerous hitch in the breath of the fire fighter Ryan could just imagine t being his last and then the life leaving the red ranger forever.

Looking down at the young man next to him who was still asleep as his body fought the poison that was invading his body and attacking all his systems Ryan smiled sadly and brushed a sweaty bang off his forehead and reached over a laid a gentle kiss on the burning skin there making sure to whisper a demonic prayer of healing against it before he pulled back and picked to the water bowl up grimacing at the sweat laced water and decided to change it right then.

Making sure Carter wasn't going to hurt himself if he begun thrashing about while he was gone Ryan then leapt off the main level of the cave and towards the small waterfall that ran through his chosen hideout and refilled and washed the wooden bowl he was using and rinsed out the cloth that had been drenched in the sweat of the red rangers before leaping back to his patient's side and placing a calming hand on his shoulder which stopped the small whimpers that Carter had been making since he had left. That was something he took great pride in observing: was that over the past two days Carter had become very responsive to his touch even relying on it some to calm down and reign in the pain that was so obviously swamping through him.

Dipping the cloth in the water Ryan begun humming an old lullaby that he had learnt growing up as he made sure Carter was efficiently cooled down and became completely absorbed in his task so much so that he didn't notice when both of Carter's pale with sickness blue eyes opened to shine their pale blue depths in his direction. Looking over at the face of the man he was intent to save Ryan felt his heart stop when he realized what had just happened and just whose eyes he was staring into at that moment, because despite wearing a helmet most days he knew what shade Carter's eyes turned during different parts of the day.

Smiling happily when he realized what this meant the demon raised warrior leant over and pressed and excited peck to the others forehead unaware of the shock he had just sent flowing through his limbs with what was now a very familiar and second nature action. Grinning down at the sick boy he turned around to the supplies he had bought with him and quickly set about fixing him a broth that would help get the red ranger stronger without saying a word to him. He wasn't sure if the poison affected the persons vocal chords and he didn't want to make Carter feel bad by not being able to talk to him when he asked him a question: hence why it was best just to stick to silence which was broken by his now happy humming: maybe he wouldn't kill Vypra.

Ryan was just about to start on a new song-one that he had heard one of the other many generals his master had humming-when he heard a weak but still smooth voice break his thoughts. "You're Ryan" he said in a statement tone.

Turning back to the red ranger with a small bowl of broth Ryan nodded his head and helped the other sit up carefully so that he didn't put any strain on any of the muscles that he was sure were still on fire thanks to the venom still coursing through his veins. "Yes I am" he said softly while gathering a suitable amount of the soup on the spoon and offering it to the red ranger who took it after a moment's hesitation.

Being poisoned by Vypra must make someone hungry, Ryan figured as he fed Carter slowly and quietly, because he knew deep down that the other warrior would have much rather feed himself just as he would have wanted to do the same if he was in a similar position to the ex-fire fighter. But he continued to feed the other until his spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl and he was sure that Carter had eaten enough to keep his strength up, then he turned to the small supplies base he had set up and quickly rinsed the bowl out so that it didn't fester and create something that could really make both of them sick.

When he turned back around he was shocked to see that Carter was watching him curiously despite the exhaustion that was radiating from his slumping form which was normal held so proud and strong. Moving over to sit in front of the other Ryan cocked his head to the side in a questioning manner which drew a breathy chuckle from the blonde in front of him and made his own lips quirk into a happy grin-it had been so long since he had been able to witness the other smile or laugh that it was a relief to see it on the others face after so long.

"What happened?" Carter asked softly making him frown thoughtfully-he knew that the other was going to want to know how he got into the cave but the thing was he didn't know how much the other remembered. "I remember falling asleep in my bed and then I remember the smells of the outside-did I sleep walk?"

Thanking his luck Ryan nodded slowly as his story formed in his mind in mere seconds, clearing his throat to get his thoughts in order Ryan looked straight into the others eyes "You were struck by one of Vypra's minions" he said slowly and Carter nodded stating that he remembered all of that "You were poisoned" he said flatly and he watched as the red rangers eyes went wide for a moment "This made you hallucinate and stumble out into a nearby forest during the night"

Carter swallowed and looked at Ryan's intense gaze "H-how do you fit into this? I mean how'd I get here" he whispered as confusion ran through him: he wasn't stupid he knew that the viper demoness had deadly poison and that her victims rarely lived once struck and yet here he was in a cave: still alive and with Ryan taking care of him of all people.

"I found you face first in the dirt that night and when I realized what had happened to you I bought you back here to my secret cave and gave you the antidote" he said shrugging as if what he did was nothing special when he knew that the other man was going to probably see it as something big.

This of course was proven to be correct when he saw the others eyes widen and a happy smile spread across his face, he liked Carter he really did some could say he was obsessed with the other but he couldn't help but notice just how gullible they really were. Carter looked down at his hands which had been his lap this whole time and bit his lip in confusion unaware of how the demon raised warriors gaze flickered down to his lips for a quick moment and then refocused back on his face not even a second later when he too raised his eyes, almost as if nothing had happened.

"Thank you Ryan" he said sincerely wanting to reach out with his hand and grab the others to convey just how much this meant to him but of course just sitting here was painful enough and he wasn't really game to try and reach out just quite yet.

The titanium ranger shrugged and then hugged his knees to his chest to make himself look smaller as suddenly a wave of insecurity flooded through him. "I managed to find out what kind of poison Vypra used before I got the antidote" he said lightly piping the red rangers interest "It would have been deadly…but thanks to the serum I gave you two days ago you should been back on your feet and meddling in my master's plan in another seven days"

Carter nodded and winced slightly as a wave of pain flooded through him, then almost as if triggered Ryan was suddenly by his side and helping him lie back down and making soothing noises in the back of his throat that the red ranger was sure he had been taught by the demons because they sure as hell weren't human like sounds he was emitting no matter how calming they really were. "Take it easy there red" he muttered softly and Carter began to get drowsy as that musical voice he had never really taken notice too started to lull him into a light sleep.

"Thank you" he slurred tiredly reaching out to grip the others hand where it rested on his shoulder and giving it a very weak squeeze as it was all he could manage at that moment as he hovered between wakefulness and unconscious.

Snorting at the others statement Ryan smiled and glanced down at the man he could kills so easily now but couldn't bring himself to do because of reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom "for what?" he snarked lightly while the undertones of his voice was laced with something else entirely, something he could only describe as something like compassion or even worry which as stupid because he knew that nothing bad was going to happen to Carter-the venom hadn't been designed to kill.

A lazy smile that Ryan couldn't help but fin cute stretched across Carter's face and the red ranger bought his hand up to his face and caressed it with a feather light touch, so light in fact that Ryan couldn't even be sure it even happened in the first place before he dropped his hand back down and slipped his eyes closed "Thank you for being my hero" he mumbled

Hearing this statement Ryan smile turned warm and he reached out to stroke the other man's hair fondly, carding his hands through the blonde locks Ryan leaned forward until he was hovering right above the red rangers face and traced the others lips with his finger before leaning down further until he was next to the other man's hear "I'll be your hero if you be mine" he whispered shocking himself.

Sitting back on his hunches he looked at his hands and then back up at Carter's sleeping form and swallowed roughly as he noticed his shaking hands the all the human emotions that he was opening himself up to, he wanted Carter which would mean opening himself into the human world he had left so long before and yet at the same time he couldn't help but be a little excited to see what he had missed all these years. Without another though the young man crawled over to the red rangers side and curled up to sleep letting his tired and conflicted mind finally rest after the huge journey it had gone through and finally let Ryan go to sleep while being surrounded by the calming and warm aura the red ranger was expelling even while fast asleep.

**Read and Review: Tell me what ya think.**


	3. My Saviour

**Here it is the third chapter-finally-Hope you guys are enjoying this storyline as much as I am, Thank you to all my readers and reviewers all your comments are appreciated and taken into account. Heads up I have a third Bonds fic in the works-won't reveal the couple just yet I might later on but for now it shall stay a secret. **__

_**Chapter**** 3-Prayers**_

One week in demon time was just a number of days to complete a killing, it was a mission or a hunt, seven days to a demon never meant much to them when they could live forever and for Ryan even if he himself wasn't going to live forever had been taught the same mindset to the point that before he had kidnapped Carter he hadn't really cared for the hours in a day or even the days of the weeks. But knowing that he only had a few days to talk to the other before he had to let him go was harder than anything he had been forced to acknowledge before.

By the time Carter had woken up two days into his poison filled sickness Ryan had already lost two days and had only been given seven days to get to know the other on a more personal level which he was pleased to notice he was doing a good job in doing. In the five days that the other had been awake Ryan had learnt that he had been one of the best fire fighters in Marina Bay before he had been picked for the ranger program and fully intended to go back to the unit if he was ever allowed to and that being a ranger wasn't all he wanted to do with his life-that had surprised Ryan a lot because he had always believed that Carter would be with Lightspeed his whole life just as he was sure to be with the demons his whole life.

He had also learnt that while he loved being a ranger and his teammates he absolutely hated the war he was involved in and how he hadn't been given any real choice before he had been drafted, he had shocked Ryan completely when he had told the other that despite being almost killed several times by them that he didn't hate the demons more that he didn't think they had the right to choose who ruled over the earth and kill all the people merely because they had the power to, hearing this had actually bought Ryan a lot of joy and he had actually hugged him tightly when he had heard that which had shocked the red ranger more than he had mentioned.

During these talks Ryan had learnt about Carter's childhood and how he had been just a child when he had been caught in a fire and then saved by Captain Mitchell-his father-which had fueled his desire to be a fire fighter in the first place. He also learned that Carter was an only child with one parent dead and the other missing from his life since she had ran off from him when he had been ten years old, in that same conversation Carter had mentioned that he was sure he had a little brother out there from his mother but couldn't be sure because he had only seen the child in passing with his mother when he had been eighteen and just finishing up his fire fighter course.

Not all the conversations had been about Carter though, the red ranger had asked just as many questions as the demon raised warrior had and Ryan had ended up telling the other what his favourite music was-which was classical surprising enough-and that when he was a child Vypra and the other generals hadn't always been mean and tried to kill him at all in fact had been really kind to him even mother like teaching him traditional demonic prayers and lullabies to sooth him when his nightmares got too bad.

One of the most enjoyable days that he had with Carter who was still too weak to go walking through the forest where the cave was situated was the fourth day the red ranger had been awake for and he had spent the whole afternoon and most of the evening trying to teach the other a traditional demon prayer that bless the five demon lords and the power of Ore something that not even Ryan really understood except that it was very powerful and deserved to be respected and blessed whenever he could. In demon society it was the first prayer that they would learn and is relatively easy once you got a hand of the old language but Ryan had been rolling around in stitches of laughter when Carter had tried saying it so many times with no idea how to pronounce the words.

Although by the time Carter had to go to sleep and rest because of how tired he was the red ranger was able to say it fluently and before they went to bed the two of them preformed the prayer and then snuggled together to keep the chill of the night out of their bones. At night Ryan loved the way Carter's shields would completely drop and he would allow him to come as close to him as he wanted and curled up to sleep with him complaining that as he was raised by demons he was taught to live with the cold while he was a fire fighter and didn't do well in the chill: his words were along the lines that: I can run into a burning building and not give a second glance at the heat surrounding him but put me somewhere cold I'm miserable.

That had amused Ryan more than he had been willing to admit because as a demon yes he had been taught to weather all kinds of conditions without any complaint but most of the time he lived in the heat, but he hadn't said anything for fear of the red ranger changing their sleeping arrangements that he was way too comfortable with to change at all. One the morning of the five mornings since Carter opened his eyes Ryan and found two startling blue eyes stares back at him when he had dragged himself into the world of wakefulness which had startled him more than he was willing to admit to himself let alone Carter.

"Carter?" he asked his voice skill gravelly and rough from sleep. He was more than a little shocked to see his patient awake before him because since most mornings he was forced to shake Carter awake so that he didn't sleep the morning away-the fire fighter swore that the poison had messed up his internal clock because he never needed as much sleep as he was getting in the last few days.

The red ranger smiled at him shyly and then bent down and pressed their lips together lightly in a fluttering kiss that had Ryan freezing underneath him in shock: had Carter kissed him? Was he still kissing him? What was happening he thought wildly but quickly came to his senses when Carter began to pull back and then pulled the other down to kiss him a little stronger to reassure the other that he hadn't done anything wrongs in fact he liked what he had done.

He knew that in human society male on male relationships were strange anymore and weren't frowned upon as much as they were and yet Ryan knew that there were still people out there who would hate Carter for his preferences, while in demon culture it was one of the most common relationships that Ryan had run into that it wasn't strange or alien to him at all, in fact to him he didn't even see the difference between a male and male relationship and one that was male and female besides the fact that a female could give birth: hell in the demonic society he had met trios that were made up of two male and a single female demon so that they could have a family as well.

Pulling back after a moment Ryan looked up at Carter who was breathing heavily and had flushed a bright cherry color which the titanium ranger couldn't help but notice looked a lot like the color of his ranger suit. Reaching up to push a lock of hair off the other boys forehead Ryan smiled happily and leant forward to kiss the slightly fevered skin their sweetly before pulling back again to see Carter's blue eyes sparkling back happily at him.

Ryan knew at that moment he wouldn't be able to let the other, go he wouldn't be able to just leave Carter alone after this moment even if the other boy didn't come to his side he just couldn't leave him when there was just so much he loved about him and he did love Carter: it had started off as just an interest then turned into an obsession but since he begun taking care of the red ranger he couldn't help but notice that his once obsessive feelings were beginning to become warmer and more precious to him.

Sitting up and stretching happily Ryan kept at least some physical contact with the red ranger at some point he arched and eyebrow which just made the other blush even more furiously then before "Not that I'm complaining about the morning grift but what bought that on?" he asked dryly as he carded a hand through Carter's blonde locks that he had always been envious of.

The red ranger swallowed and then looked down shyly his eyes trained on the dirt pair of sweat pants he had been in Ryan had 'rescued' him almost a week ago "I've always thought of you as attractive" he muttered softly and didn't even have to look up to notice the smug grin that he was cure Ryan was now wearing "But you were the bad guy the one I had to fight so I couldn't act on that attraction" he sighed looking up at the man who had been taking care of him.

"What changed" Ryan asked kindly his hand soothing any fears he might have had as it played with the hairs on the nape of his heck which drained all the tension in his shoulders like magic.

Drawing a shuddering breath to gain control over the emotions raging inside of him Carter reached over and tangled their hands together "You saved me" he whispered tracing his thumb over the skin at the back of Ryan's hand smiling at the warmth he felt radiating there "You took care of me when all of our experiences pretty much point to the direction that you should have killed me, you defied everything you knew and took me to your secret hiding place and gave me an antidote to a poison which your demon family possessed and I just figured…I had to give it a chance"

Smiling kindly Ryan nodded and leant forward and kissed Carter's forehead again "I am glad you did my _Voljene osobe_" he said his tongue muttering out the demonic endearment before he could stop himself the smooth language slipping out like water. Carter smiled at the words and looked down shyly which made Ryan curiosity piped once again "What is it Carter?" he asked

"It's just…should I really like it when you speak demon?" he asked blushing crazily. Ryan was silent for a moment and the laughed heartily pulling Carter in for another kiss that the red ranger happily returned with just as much passion.

After a moment Ryan pulled back and grinned at Carter who was smiling happily at him "For you Carter I'll speak all the time in demon if that if what you wish-although I think we'll have a bit of a language barrier" he added with a wink that had Carter laughing happily and shaking his head.

Kissing their joined hands sweetly Carter looked up at Ryan from behind his lashes which had Ryan shifting uncomfortable at the heat suddenly flooding his body "Well you could always teach me some couldn't you" he said in a low voice that had Ryan swallowing roughly and nodding unsurely "I mean you did teach me a prayer right?" He added in an almost whisper.

"Right" Ryan said nodding before grinning and leaning forward to whisper in his ear "But for now how about I hold this little language thing over your head huh: _Moj mali bug fire_?" he said his voice laced with amusement as he felt Carter shiver in his arms at the demonic words that were flowing from his lips.

The red ranger pulled back and gazed at him with heavy eyes that Ryan couldn't help but be smug about because he was the one who did that to him. "What did you just say" he whispered pleadingly as he moved closer to the warrior until he was practically sitting in the others lap-not that Ryan was complaining that much. "Because it sounded hot" he whispered threading his hands in his hair "And I really like hot"

Tutting low in his throat Ryan grin turned feral "Oh that is for me to know…and you to guess" he growled leaning forward to catch the others lips in a fiery kiss that took the demon warrior's breath away when Carter kissed right back.

Ryan could have almost died when Carter opened his mouth and allowed his tongue entry so he was finally allowed to taste the other in all that ways he had wanted for long, and yet at the same time while he marked Carter just as he had always imagined he would he couldn't help but think in amusement that their real bond had all started with a traditional prayer: go figure.

**Note: the demonic Language was actually Croatian and the translations are as such: **

_**Moj Mali bug fire-**_**My Little Fire Bug**

_**Voljene osobe-**_**Loved One.**

**Read and Review  
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	4. You are True Freedom

__**Sorry this took so long to upload I've been really busy and every time I would Start this Chapter I would be torn away to do something else. But here it is Chapter 4: to be honest i really have no idea where this is going just that i get the prompts and then my mind runs off and creates the chapter so take it as it comes. Thank you for all who are reading and faving this chapter you are my inspiration.  
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_**Chapter 4-Free**_

Some of Ryan's most treasured memories were of the most troubled moments in his life, one was of the moment he knew Diabolico really thought of him as valuable, it also happened to be the moment he had killed his first person: he was ten. The next moment he treasured more than anything was the time he knew he had a mother in Queen Bansheera, it also happened to be the moment she had made him watch as she tore apart a young girl in front of him to strip him of his humanity slowly before she had stroked his hair staining it with the slick blood of her prey: he was nine. Many other moments followed and each held some terrible moment tacked onto them.

But despite knowing all of this he had never thought that his week with Carter would end up the same way, he had thought he would be free of the curse he had been put under the minute his master had taken him under his wing. But the time had come for the two of them to part, all of Vypra's poison had left his system and yet he was stalling trying to make the fire fighter leave him, he knew it was stupid and that Carter was going to leave him any way but he couldn't help but hold some hope that maybe he was wrong and that all his treasured moments he had shared with his love weren't going to be spoilt by their parting.

As the sun slowly rose above the horizon on the morning of the final day that Carter was to stay with him under his care Ryan found himself sitting on the cave floor with Carter's head cradled in his lap as he dreaded the moment the red ranger opened his eyes and found that he was once again healthy enough to travel back to the headquarters of the Lightspeed Rescue team. For the last three days since the two of them shared their first kiss Ryan had begun to notice that the ex-fire fighter had begun to improve in strength and everyday he was able to do a little more all the time which meant that their time together was drawing to a close and yet he hadn't succeeded in his plan to turn Carter against the other rangers.

In fact there were times when Ryan thought about leaving the life he had always known and follow Carter back to the ranger base, but then of course he would remember what he had done to the others and his history would surge to the forefront of his mind and he would remember he was a demon raised warrior and he would forget the suggestion before he bought up knowing it would sound as stupid out loud as it did in his head.

Sometimes Ryan wished he was free like the birds that flew through the air and surrounded him on a regular basis when he was out in the wild, as far as he can remember he hadn't had that kind of freedom ever, he could faintly remember a time before Diabolico had taken him under his wing when a gruff man had told him to look after a young girl and that he had to be a man, and then after that all he could remember were times when he was training or being commanded by the demon master who had raised him as his own. It was a little upsetting knowing this simply because during his original observations of Carter and the ranger team he had learnt that while they were in a military structure of such belonging to a special unit of fighting prowess they had more freedom in the few months they had joined than he had been given his whole life.

But being in this cave with Carter and watching over him as Vypra's poison ran its course Ryan had never felt more free in his life: he knew it was stupid but the way he looked at it was that he was doing something he wanted to do for himself and not something that his master believed was best for him and the family. Carter was something he wanted not something that Diabolico wanted him to have, and that was completely foreign complex to him: it made him feel more alive than any battle had ever done for him.

Glancing down at the ranger in his lap when he groaned and shifted the warrior smiled warmly and stroked his hair tenderly trying to burn the way the soft blonde locks felt under his hands into his memory knowing that their time was almost up and that he was going to have to take the man back to Lightspeed before he woke up and asked questions. Sighing slightly Ryan stood up and pulled Carter swiftly onto his back in one smooth motion once again thanking all the training he had been put through in his childhood knowing that if he had trained any less than what he had that action would have been a lot harder than what he performed it as and most probably would have woken his cargo who had luckily just groaned and shifted slightly burying his face in the hard muscles of his back sighing contently.

Taking one last glance around the cave that had been his home for the last nine days Ryan nodded and then leapt from its confined and into the morning light as he ran towards the base that he had kidnapped the red ranger from more than a week ago his hope falling with each step he took towards the place that would soon separate them once again. He wanted to hate the ranger unit so much for taking Carter from him but after having the leader explain to him what they were doing with their own lives and how he loved each member of the team-including the pink!-as family members and that he would gladly die for them and he hadn't been able to find any hate for the people the one he cared so much for loved so dearly.

It would so much easier if he hadn't spent the last week with Carter simply because ever since the two of them had begun their little…tryst he had been thoroughly confused as to what he wanted and what he thought he knew which was why he had to leave for a while and find out what he did want and who he really was without anyone influencing him: he needed to think freely. Glancing at the Lightspeed rescue base looming in front of him the demon raised boy smiled bitter sweetly and then laid Carter on the floor and bent down to press a sad kiss to his forehead before tucking a letter into his hand.

"Farewell for now my _Crveni malo Ljubavi_" he whispered sadly before he jumped from his place at Carter's side where he had been constantly for the last seven days and back into the wilderness of the forests which had hid him and his red ranger for the last nine days from the other rangers and all their advanced technology.

The sun hit Carter full on the face making him groan as it pulled him from a very restful sleep, one of the best sleeps in fact he had gotten since that incident with Vypra and her deadly poison he hadn't been able to sleep any longer than three hours without being pulled out by a painful jolt that would run through his body. Of course this would allow him to catch sight of Ryan when he was at his most defenseless-being in a deep sleep-and would find himself just gazing at the other male until exhaustion would take over his body once again and drag him into the land of dreams once more.

It was in the dead of night when he was awake in the dark cave curled up next to a guy who by all accounts should be one of his biggest enemies that he would realise that his affection and attraction to Ryan went deeper than just gratitude from the demon raised titanium warrior saving his life: he was just generally attracted to Ryan and while being attracted to men wasn't an unknown concept to him it was strange and alien to him to believe that he was actually falling for the enemy. He was the red ranger, the one that should lead by example and yet here he was doing the one thing that was practically an unspoken rule of rangering: do not get close to the enemy.

Having prepared himself for the onslaught of sun light which was bound to hit him when he opened his eyes the ex-fire fighter cracked his eyes opened and gingerly sat up mindful that he had spent the night on the floor-again!-and that like the past seven days he would be sore as hell because of it. Glancing around Carter was shocked to see that he was in front of the Lightspeed Rescue base and that Ryan was nowhere in sight, which was probably a good thing if Carter really thought about it. Swallowing to wet his dry throat Carter took one last glance around and then climbed to his feet wincing when the action pulled on muscles he hadn't used in a while. "Ryan…are you out there?" he called out lifting his hands to cup his mouth to make his yell louder.

When he heard no answer he sighed and dropped his hand. When he heard a crinkling sound resonate from somewhere near his fist he frowned: what was that? It sounded almost like it was paper which would be stupid considering he hadn't had access to paper in a few days. Glancing down at his fist his eyes widened in shock when he indeed saw that in his fist was a folded up piece of paper clutched their probably placed their while he was still asleep, unfolding the paper Carter felt himself still when he noticed that the print on the page was from the man he was looking for at that moment.

**Dear Carter.**

**By the time you are reading this I will be long gone. Not back to Diabolico: I don't think I could go back to him after the week spent in each others company: in the last week I have seen what true freedom was and I want it. **

**My whole life I have been someone Else's toy but you…your life was amazing to me, you did what you wanted and no one ever punished you for it and to me: that is true freedom. The poison has now left your system completely and you should be able to go back to ranger duty in no time at all, you won't see me on the battlefield for a very long time because I have left Marina Bay for a little while. **

**I need to spread my wings and find out what ****I ****want and not what others want for me, and for showing me this I will be eternally grateful. So thank you Carter and stay safe.**

**Ryan.**

Smiling down at the neat letter clutched in his hand Carter put it in his pocket and then strode towards the opening of the base where the two guards reacted to his presence only to freeze and gap in shock when they saw just who was entering the base. "Morning boys" he called cheerfully striding into the base with his head held high.

The guards saluted weakly and mumbled out weak 'sirs' as he walked pass and then scrambled to alert the Captain and the other rangers to his arrival. Shaking his head at the familiarity of the Lightspeed rescues base and the way it worked the red ranger couldn't help but cast one last glance out the window he was walking pass on his way to the debriefing room where he was sure to be interrogated by the whole team: he hoped Ryan found what he was looking for and returned back to them quickly he missed the guy and his strange way he showed affections, and who knew maybe one day the two of them would be free of Marina bay together?

**Read and Review please. **


	5. Room of Angel

**Right...this is where things begin to really take off in this fic, a little longer than it did in Unbreakable Bonds but eh you readers still get your slashy goodness so doesn't really matter. Now once again thank you to all my avid readers and fans of this series i would like to notify you all: there third installment is all ready under way with the pairing and prompts chosen** **so be on the look out. Right well the song i used in this chapter is call Room of Angel from Silent Hill you should look it up it's really freaky0dare you to play it randomly when your all alone in the house in the dark.  
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_**Chapter****_ 5_-Lullaby**_

As a fire fighter and now a red ranger Carter had seen and done things that he hadn't thought he would ever do, he did things nobody else would ever do or have been forced to do. He faced demons and hellish fires and he had been terrified through all of it: from leading his team without really knowing if he was doing the right thing all the way to opening his eyes to find that Ryan had been the one protecting and taking care of him when he had been almost dead but none of that was as terrifying as he felt at that moment sitting in a steel chair cuffed and have conscious of his surroundings.

He had gone out on patrol needing to clear his head from all the thoughts and emotions that he had put in side him-not that it had helped too much-and had then been jumped like he wasn't even watching and then forced into a weird jeep like thing before he forced to swallow a foul tasting purple liquid before he lost consciousness only to wake up in the situation he was: tired and restrained, his morphers taken from him and shivering from the cold he was feeling thanks to his jacket being in tatters on the floor.

Blood was dried on his forehead from where his head had been slammed into the side of the jeep he had been forced into and his wrists were bleeding because of all the pulling he had been doing to his metal restraints. He felt tried and weak, he hated this feeling and wanted to go home, he had only been returned a month ago and the team had only just started trusting him to leave the base alone-he still had a night guard!-and now he was sure that he wouldn't have that trust anymore.

A soft music flowed into the room and Carter sluggishly turned his head to face the doors groaning as he did so, why was it that the slightest movement in his head made him feel like he was about to throw up again? The music continued to flow surrounding him making him almost lulling him into a trance with its haunting and flowing melody: it sounded like some sort of lullaby a creepy one but a lullaby all the same. Closing his eyes the red ranger let his body relax as he listened to the strange music-he was so tired.

_You lie silent there before me  
>your tears they mean nothing to me<br>the wind howling at the window  
>the love you never gave<br>I give to you_

When he heard the strange lyrics coming from right beside him the young ranger struggled to open his eyes but did so only to meet the chilling ones of the very demoness that had poisoned him only a few weeks earlier: Vypra. The evil villain smiled like the snake she was when his eyes opened sluggishly that little but wider in response to the shock and fear he had just felt, reaching up with a clawed hand the female demon brushed back his hair and then traced one finger down the side of his face almost lovingly.

_Really don't deserve it  
>but now there's nothing you can do<br>so sleep in your only memory of me  
>my dearest mother<em>

Carter had never been a huge lover of music, he hadn't grown up loving it, but there was just something so appealing about the song that Vypra was crooning in his ear as she washed away the blood at his temple almost lovingly. He knew something was wrong with this picture but couldn't pick it out, he just wanted to rest and the demon was helping him, which was all that mattered at that moment. Whimpering when the venomous demon probed too deep into the side of his head, he hated feeling this useless but with him being restrained and all he couldn't exactly do it himself could he.

_Here's a lullaby to close your eyes good-bye  
>it was always you that I despised<br>I don't feel enough for you to cry oh well  
>here's a lullaby to close your eyes good-bye<br>goodbye  
>goodbye<em>

Closing his eyes as her haunting voice washed over him again making him feel like he was being weighed down by fifty tonnes that red ranger tried to speak but found his throat was too dry and all he could make out was a raspy sound that hurt more than he ever thought would be able to do. Vypra seemed to catch on because she had lifted a black glass to his lips and tip the liquid down his throat all the while still crooning the lullaby like it was some sort of prayer. It wasn't until the taste hit his throat that Carter knew something was very wrong with what he was being made to swallow.

The liquid was thick and gluey nothing like water at all, it tasted strange like grounded up sweet mints and then flavored with bitter water and made him want to throw up as soon as it touched his stomach. Vypra didn't seem to catch the memo and just continued to force him to drink the liquid humming along with the music seemingly forgetting the words to the song that had once calmed the red ranger but was now doing nothing but place a terrible dread and fear into his body. When the liquid was completely gone Carter felt the effects of whatever it was running through his veins like a slowly creeping chill that was flowing through his blood like an evil.

Still unable to speak clearly Carter tried coughing out the goo that had been forced down his throat only to hack up black chunks that he knew deep down had nothing to do with whatever he had just drank, as a string of black drooled from his mouth Carter lifted his head to see the venomous demon smiling down at him happily almost as if she was proud to what she had made the once proud red ranger turn into: and that was probably something to be proud of considering he was weak, disoriented and probably couldn't fight off a kitten at that moment in time.

"What…do you want" he choked out as the chill made him feel even more weighted than before if that was even humanly possible-well he sure as hell wasn't feeling human anymore, he felt like something else was inside of him.

Vypra smiled and then stroked his cheek once more her lips curling into a mocking tender smile before she dragged one of the claws down his face drawing a little blood to the surface "Nothing to worry about little _fiery dijete_ all will be revealed soon" she said her voice flowing through the demonic language with ease that had Carter's blood curling in annoyance-he really wouldn't have minded if she hadn't spoken to him in a language he couldn't understand for the life of him.

_So insignificant  
>sleeping dormant deep inside of me<br>are you hiding away lost  
>under the sewers<br>maybe flying high in the clouds  
>perhaps you're happy without me<br>so many seeds have been sown in the field  
>and who could sprout up so blessedly<br>if I had died  
>I would have never felt sad at all<br>you will not hear me say I'm sorry  
>where is the light<br>wonder if it's weeping somewhere _

Carter could have groaned when she started to sing again there must have been something important about that song that he was missing but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't focus on the lyrics enough to really pick out the meaning to it or why Vypra would want to sing it in the first place: and that scared him more than the angry swishing he felt inside him and deep down he knew he needed help, so he called out the first name he could think of. "Ryan" he mumbled out his lips unable to form the full words.

That didn't seem to matter to Vypra who just laughed and then tugged his hair making him look into her chilling reptilian eyes "Ryan can't hear you little one, he's being punished for his little disappearing act" she said and then cocked her head to the side almost as if she was thinking of something before an evil smile spread across her face making him swallow nervously.

The venomous demon reached down and tapped his lips to signal for him to be quiet before she walked over to a huge metal door that he hadn't noticed earlier and tapped against it in a strange almost musical pattern "Loki?" she called out sweetly making Carter want to gag and yet somewhere deep inside him something seemed to be thrilling at the sound of the kind tone she was using.

When the bulky monster moved into view the demoness smiled and looked back at him "Get Ryan…I think he should see this" she commanded her voice feral and blood thirsty.

"You are pure evil milady" Loki chuckled but nodded and the turned away humming to the music himself while Vypra turned back to him grinning happily to herself.

Carter was about to ask what she was going to do to him in front of the boy who had become one of his most precious people despite the fact only really knowing him for a few months when she help up a needle filled with black sludge that made his insides freeze and his hope that had been rising considering he was going to be face to face with Ryan once more turn to ash. Vypra straddled his lap making him pull back a little only for her to dig her claws into his shoulder drawing rivets of blood to the surface that slide down his back to drip onto the floor.

"Play nice now Carter" She instructed as she flicked the needle to make sure no air was in the liquid, not that the red ranger could actually believe that any air could survive in such thick disgusting liquid that she seemed enamored. "Or I might just have to poison you again" she said playfully making Carter still fearfully.

He remembered that poison very well, it had been horrible and he knew that Vypra was the one who gave it to him but being threatened by that very poison only a few weeks after he had survived it would be like bringing up a fear of heights to someone only recently conquered said fear: terrifying and bone chilling. Feeling the red ranger still below her the demoness smile and looked over her shoulder to see Loki dragging a limp Ryan in his arms where he then chain him to the wall opposite the red ranger that had caught the human but raised demon warrior. "Oh good Ryan's here" she said happily before tapping Carter on the cheek one more time and then moving to stand behind him. "Loki be a darling and wake young Ryan up would ya"

The larger demon nodded and hit the titanium ranger on the back of the head making him groan and open his eyes sluggishly "what hit me?" he groaned out before he focused on Carter who seemed barely alive sitting in the chair with Vypra behind him petting his hair tenderly. "Carter!"

"Morning sweetie" Vypra said in her mockingly sweet voice that had Ryan tugging at his restraints when he caught sound of the lullaby playing in the background making him still in fear and shake his head in silent disbelief "What you don't remember the lullaby of demons?" She said holding up the syringe of black liquid that Ryan knew wasn't any poison.

Ryan shook his head and turned his gaze to Carter who seemed to tired and worn to fight any more "Please no…what have you done to him?" he asked quietly when he caught sight of the black and blue smears around Carter's mouth.

"Well there was the blood from our master I forced down his throat moments ago then of course the seed of fire liquid to knock him out in the jeep and well you know what this is" she said bringing the tiny needle into light making him close his eyes against the pain wracking through his body. "You bought this on him"

This made the demon raised warrior look up at Vypra in shock, what did she mean by that, he had left Carter alone for the last month there was no way that Diabolico could have known that he liked the red ranger at all there was just no way "What?"

Vypra smile turned mysterious and she turned to Loki who was waiting by his side patiently awaiting orders "Make sure he watches" she orders as she positioned the needle above one of the large claw marks in Carter's shoulder all the while Ryan couldn't look away as she plunged the needle into the blood wound and injected the man he loved with the seed of the queen of demons.

Once she was done Vypra begun to laugh and traced Carter's now pale and shaking face tenderly her vicious smile locked onto Ryan's horrified face as the full impact of what they had just done to Carter hit him. "Go on Ryan tell Carter what just happened to him, what you sat by and let happen to him" she said as Carter turned his now fully awake gaze to him.

Shaking his head no Ryan didn't want to say it until Carter looked at him with pleading eye that would be able to get Ryan to do anything the other wanted and had him swallowing roughly "Carter, everything that just happened to you: the lullaby, the different things you drank even that last needle it was a ritual" he spoke his voice wavering as the truth tried to break through him but finding it impossible to fully say the words.

Vypra seemed to understand and narrowed her gaze lacing her fingers into Carter's hair "Say it!" she hissed making Carter whimper and then nod his eyes searching his own pleadingly.

Ryan closed his eyes painfully and then looked into Carter's eye s before giving them all the answer they all wanted "You were just turned into a hybrid Carter…you're part demon" he said evenly and if he thought the scared look on Ryan's face before was bad the absolutely terrified and shattered look Carter was giving him at that moment made his heart almost shatter.

**So how'd I do: reviews are very welcome. **


	6. I'm Gonna Break You

**Hi there, how is every one going? Well this is where i just went totally off course from Lightspeed: but it's my verse and I'll do what i want with it. So once again thank you to all my loyal followers all your inputs and reviewing is much appreciated. Any and all feed back s appreciated but just a note to all the flamers out there: I put a warning on my description this is a Slash story if you don't like that kind of thing then this isn't your story.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6-Hope<strong>

The days after Carter was first changed into a Hybrid were the most painful Ryan had been forced to partake in, the once proud red ranger had turned into a quivering mess of limbs and never raised his head from his chest but emitted slight grunts and growls from low in his throat which Ryan knew very well: they were demonic sounds of communication, sounds that he himself could mimic. The red ranger had only looked at him once since he had found out what he had become and that was to give him a forgiving look that he himself didn't believe he deserved let alone should have been given.

Since that afternoon Carter hadn't moved nor addressed any one completely, he kept his head down and only looked up when Vypra forced more sludge down his throat and what he was sure was some kind of blood. Deep in his mind Ryan could only hope that the rangers would find them before they broke their once fearless leader simply because he didn't know how much longer Carter's will was going to last with the constant barrage that it was being hit with. He hadn't gotten off scot free either though, once Carter had receded into himself Loki and dragged him into a new room and strung him up by the roof and then proceeded to kick the crap out of him before he was dragged into the room to be chained to the wall once more.

The scariest thing about the whole situation wasn't that Carter had been changed against his will or that he was being forced to watch the red ranger's decent into mad demon it was that he had to watch Vypra dote on her new toy. The venom using demon had taken to Carter like a son and was always curling her arms around his neck and whispering sweet on things in his ear all the while grinning at him evilly, it was sickening that the viper demoness was able to touch Carter without him being able to flinch away or fight her off simply because he didn't know how.

Ryan sighed and shifted against the cold metal wall behind his back and then looked back up at Carter who was still sitting bound to the chair his head hanging his now cropped hair-Vypra's doing-all he could see of the other. He could still remember when the venomous demon had walked into the room two days earlier and pulled Carter's head up by his hair to stare into his eyes before snorting and declaring that his hair was too long. All Ryan had been able to do was watch as Vypra cut Carter's hair so that it was only just short enough for her to run her hands through it before she made a noise of satisfaction and then left the room with a victorious strut.

Glancing at the boy now Ryan couldn't stop the winces that broke through his normally emotionless mask he looked terrible: his body was littered by cuts from Vypra's claws, his wrists were bloody and dripped over the side of the chair arm so that it pooled on the floor next to his feet. His shoulder was also bleeding slightly so that it wasn't dangerous, his chair was cut back and if the boy looked up Carter knew he would see a blood stained mouth of both human and demon species. It was scary to see Carter that limp almost as if he was dead-and he very well could die-only reassured by the sounds of the change that was going through him every day.

Glancing up at his bound hands Ryan sighed and shifted again cursing his master for ever putting him in such a straining position: his shoulders weren't ever going to be right again after this. He could still remember the second day straight he had been tied to the wall like this while Carter was basically hanging in his chair, he had been so mad and angry that the red ranger got the more comfortable seat until he saw just how painful being tied to that metal torture machine really would have been: the hard metal digging into his back and the cuffs cutting into his wrists and ankles making him bleed while he was forced to sit so still so he could have semblance of comfort.

Before he could dwell on the situation any more the metal door to his left slammed open the one person he sure as hell didn't want anywhere near neither he nor Carter at that point strode into the room looking every bit the Demon Lord he was as he sneered at the boy he had raised as a son and then at the red ranger who now had his blood running through his body. Diabolico walked over to Carter and then grunted once to catch the others attention. Ryan was about to tell him it was stupid and foolish, that not even Vypra who was by means he's maker couldn't get the red ranger to react but before he could even open his mouth to say a single word Carter shocked him by lifting his head.

It was slow and by all means looked extremely painful but never the less Carter had moved on his own accord and it was more than a pull against his bloody restraints or trying to curl even further up inside himself. The demon master seemed smug that he was able to pull a reaction from the red ranger who he had been warned was practically comatose, leaning down to stare into the other's eyes he felt his excitement bubbling inside his insides when he noticed that his blue eyes were flickering yellow and then green before settling onto blue once more only to begin the flickering pattern once more, standing up to his full impressive height Diabolico looked down at the Hybrid and then pulled out a cup of dark red liquid which he made sure to let Ryan take a good look at.

As soon as he saw the glass Ryan felt himself still, it couldn't be what he thought it was: and yet when he smelt the vial substance in the glass all his hopes faded: it blood, but it wasn't just normal blood: it was end for Carter. Whenever Vypra had 'fed' the other prisoner he had been force fed animal blood or demon blood, but in that glass that Diabolico was holding was the one thing that would shatter Carter's will and hold on his humanity completely, because in just a few moments the demon master he had once thought of as his father was going to force fed Carter: Human blood.

"You know what this is: don't you Ryan" the demon lord said his voice smug and victorious sounding as he shook the glass a little making the red sticky substance inside swirl around a little which actually made Ryan's stomach churn a little before he put a hand on the back of Carter's head and placed the edge of the glass on his lips and tipped.

Gritting his teeth the demon raised warrior turned his and closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see what his master was about to do, he wished he could shut off his hearing as well but unfortunately he had to listen to ever forced swallow and slurp until Diabolico lifted the glass and wandered over to him and kicked him in the ribs making him gasp in pain and his eyes to fly wide open at the sudden flare of pain that shot through him.

The demon lord leant down and gripped his head and forced him to look over at Carter who seemed to know what he had just been forced to drink because he was sitting there white as a ghost shaking, his eyes wide and full of fear which made Ryan want to reach out and pull him into a tight protective hug "You see how easy I can break him…he'll be mine in a few days and then do you know what I'm gonna make him do" Diabolico hissed pulling him forward unknowingly loosening his restraints just that little bit. "Well do you"

Ryan grin turned feral and he slammed his forehead into his masters making him release his hold on his shirt which in turn sent him tumbling to the floor to land on his arm wrong eliciting a gasp of pain from his lips. "Dunno" he gasped through the pain closing his eyes against the wracking pain flaring through him "Make him get you coffee when you're too lazy to do it yourself"

Without thinking about Carter watching Diabolico kicked him full in the face making him fly right into the wall behind him "No I'm gonna have him torture you" he hissed and Ryan felt the floor beneath him fall. He could handle a lot of things: torture from the very hands that raised him, leaving Carter to find himself almost dying he could handle all of that and take it in stride but if he was strung up and forced to look into Carter's eyes whether demon or not he didn't think that he would be able to handle that: he could barely handle watching Carter being tortured or having Carter watch him being tortured and the worst thing: Diabolico knew it would break him.

Just as he was about to spit out a rather long string of curses a large explosion wracked the foundation of the room allowing Ryan to loosen his restraints that little bit more to the point where all it would take is a single tug and they would come free not that he would alert another person or demon to that little piece of information. What confused him was why the base was under attack, Vypra had teased him constantly about the fact they weren't at the home base and at a smaller one on earth where they could gather things to deal the most damage without using their own resources, this seemed to annoy Diabolico as well because he spun around seemingly forgetting about his 'son' and striding to the door to meet Loki who had come with a message.

"Loki!" he roared "What the hell is going on!"

The bulky demon growled in frustration and turned to look over his shoulder where Vypra was gathering her minions to go out into battle "The Rangers have found us: they're here for their red" he said his body angling toward the battlefield so that he could protect his mater like the loyal solider he was.

Diabolico nodded and then left with Loki to take care of the rangers leaving the door to their room wide open making Ryan's hope rise with each step he took away from them. Looking across the room Ryan locked eyes with Carter and when he saw the ugly demon yellow eyes staring back at him he could have screamed in frustration but instead he smiled happily and nodded once which got his Carter's first smile since his capture. Glancing up at his chains Ryan pulled and could have screamed in relief when they came free and his arms were finally allowed to drop from their forced position.

"Ryan" Carter rasped out making the warrior smile and then rush of to the red ranger and begins untying the bloody restraints that he had to forget about at that point. "Your saving me" he stated making Ryan nod and then bend down to start on his ankles.

When Carter was free Ryan slung his arm around his shoulders and helped him too his feet which made Carter gasp because of the blood loss he had suffered and the wounds that had been inflicted on his body "I'm sorry I couldn't so it earlier" he whispered as he began to lead the other boy out of the room that had been their torture chamber for so long that Ryan had no idea how much time had passed.

It only took a few moments for Ryan to figure out where they were and soon he had figured out where the exit was and began to move them towards it all the while trying not to fall over because of his injuries, he knew he wasn't as injured as Carter but he was still hurt. Glancing down at his wrist and at the titanium morpher there Ryan smiled, they really should have taken it away from him just as they had with Cater. Forming a really quick plan he carefully placed Carter on the floor against a wall where he groaned at the sudden change of vertigo "Hey don't worry about it" he said softly "I'm gonna get us outta here" he said before morphing into his silver ranger suit.

When he looked back down at Carter he felt much better as he felt the suit doing its job of healing him and then picked the other up again moving them through the halls a lot faster than earlier until they were in the clean fresh air for the first time in a while. Glancing up he saw flashes of pink and blue making him smile "Help: Over here!" he called out as his morph flickered out of existence.

Before he fully blacked out and he and Carter tumbled to the ground as their pain overwhelmed them Ryan saw the two other rangers leaping towards him back his hope rise just that little more, things would get better: they had too it wasn't like they really could get much worse than they already were.

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><p><strong>Reviews are very welcome<strong>


	7. We Have Each Other

**Hello my readers, how are you all, well...this ain't where i thought I'd be going with this bonds fic but i kinda like how it is turning out, now this chapter...i dunno how I would describe my thoughts while writing this. I was listening to Sing by My Chemical Romance and suddenly this came out. Sort of weird but eh whatever. Right now thank you to all my reviewers and readers your faith in me is always appreciated.**

**Disclaimer- kinda- kinda need to do this at some point huh. I do not own Power rangers or anything affiliated with the franchise they belong to Saban, Disney and at the moment i think Nickelodeon.  
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**Chapter**_** 7-Falter**_

To say Ryan was surprised when he had been rescued by the rangers alongside Carter who had been barely conscious at the time would be the understatement but he wasn't complaining, not when he got to lie on a beautifully soft bed and have every wound he had ever sustained checked over and treated with a lot more care than he had ever gotten in his life. His father-Captain Mitchell-had been very welcoming to him and had even pulled him into a hug when he had woken up in the med bay saying how sorry he was for leaving him as a kid and that he missed him. That had shocked him considering his whole life he had been told that the Lightspeed Rescue creator had abandoned him-although it didn't shock him that Diabolico lied to him: it was what he was good at.

But the bad thing was that while he was slowly but surely getting stronger and better with each passing day, Carter was the total opposite. The red ranger had only woken up five days after they had woken up and that was to say two words: Help Me. When he had been questioned on why the fearless leader would ask something of the warrior, Ryan had been forced to reveal what had been done to Carter in the torture rooms and how he was no longer the carter they knew and loved, that he was something more: he was a Hybrid. The reaction to his news had shocked everyone in the Ranger team; Dana-who funnily enough was his sister-had denied it a few times before she had turned to sob into her father's shoulder.

The blue ranger-Chad if he remembered correctly-had gone pale white n adjust stared down at his leader for a moment almost as if he didn't believe that his strong willed leader could ever be changed that much against his will, but he had stayed strong and just kept his gaze on his leader almost as if keeping a protective stance above him. Joel-the cocky green ranger that Ryan had many times taken great enjoyment out of tearing a part-was breathing deeply through his nose like he was trying to control the anger that was no doubt flowing through his body. When he had first heard the news about his leader and good friend he had begun yelling and pacing the length of the med room until the medic in charge had silenced him with a firm glare.

The yellow ranger-Kelsey-had just begun to cry, she didn't make a sound, didn't throw up a fuss just stood there with tears dripping down her face making no move to wipe them away proving just how strong she was inside. Captain Mitchell his own father had leaked out a few tears and when Ryan had finally taken the time to figure what that small little action had meant coming from the usually emotionless leader and commanding officer he had come to the conclusion that the Captain loved Carter and cared for him just like the son that had gone missing all those years ago-and strangely he didn't feel jealous of the red ranger in the slightest.

When Carter had finally woken up and was able to speak to the others at lengths if time he had pleaded with them not to treat him any differently just because of what he was now, but when the two of them were alone and Carter allowed him to climb into the bed with him and hold him the red ranger broke down and would sob telling him he didn't know who he was anymore and how was he supposed to protect others if he couldn't protect himself. Those moments were the ones Ryan treasured deep inside himself because it was in those moments he knew that Carter needed him just as much as he needed the fire fighter.

When the two of them were finally moved out of the med bay Carter had come to him telling him about the urges his demon side was giving him and how hard it was to fight it which had ended up with the two of them holding each other well into the night as they slept fitfully. Everyone in the unit knew that the two of them were together in some way and whenever they saw Carter grab his arm and give him a pitiful look they knew it was their business and would always let the two of them leave to go off and do what they needed to without questioning it. Ryan was eternally grateful that they didn't ask to tag along to Carter's training sessions as they dubbed them because the sight was hard enough for Ryan to deal with. Seeing the red ranger snarling and trying to break holds that were unbreakable and trying to reign in the killer part of himself that no one else got to see.

In those moments when Carter would throw himself at him snarling and clawing Ryan had to let the red ranger see that part of the darkness that he himself had tried to bury when he had taken a liking to Carter in the beginning, he had to fight back and because of his better control he won each and every time. Those were the bad days though, on the good days when the red ranger didn't have to fight himself from killing innocent people Ryan got to watch Carter joke around and live the life he was always meant to live: the one of a hero, and when they fought together Ryan was proud to see that Carter used all the skills he was teaching him during their training session making him a terrifying ranger team when the two of them fought side by side.

More weeks passed and Carter's control seemed as solid as anything which was why when Ryan got a call from Carter at midnight he was shocked and confused but answered the call anyway only to get a location and the fact he was needed which was all he needed. He ran through the forests which he recognised without any prompting and immediately knew where Carter as and raced towards the cave where he had taken care of the red ranger when he had been poisoned. When arrived he froze when saw Carter shaking curled up form.

Blood stained and as pale as a ghost Ryan knew immediately what had happened to the young hybrid, if his appearance-rumpled and bloody-wasn't a big enough sign then the shadows haunting his once clear eyes were enough of a sign to tell him of what had really happened. Carter hadn't been able to control himself. "Carter" he whispered softly taking a step towards him and crouching down in front of him his eyes warm and comforting.

"All that blood" the red ranger whispered and then glanced at his hands which were stained and ugly pale red from the sticky substance that was once again smeared all over his mouth-a look Ryan had been hoping he'd never have to see on another person. "Humans bleed so much more than deer" he whispered

Ryan pushed Carter's hair away from his face and sighed, he knew what had happened: Carter had hunted a deer killed it, eaten it and most probably still on the high of his kill had killed a few people; he'd done the same thing a few times when he had been still a child, he had been hoping that maybe Carter's control would be better than his own and he wouldn't have to face that considering his control had seemed so much more in control than he had been when he himself had first had the same desires that being a demon or hybrid flooded you with. Knowing that simple words wouldn't mean anything to him at that moment Ryan just pulled Carter against his chest and made a calming growl low in his throat that made the other hybrid whine pitifully and turn his face into his chest.

"Carter I'm here" he whispered comfortingly

The red ranger looked up and seemed to regard him for a moment when a kind smile spread across his face "Yes you are" he whispered and then lifted himself up enough to kiss him with his blood smeared mouth.

Whether it was the built up sexual tension between the two of them from all the time they have spent together or if it was their demon sides reacting to the blood that laced the taste of Carter from the older Hybrid neither one would know all Ryan understood was that one moment he was merely kissing Carter and then the next the two of them were growling and snarling while each of them was trying to pull one another's clothes off. When the two of them were finally both naked their demon sides took over and their passionate urges took over, meaning they bite a clawed at one another trying to prove to other they weren't the weaker of the two.

In the end Carter lost the duel of dominance-mostly because he had no clue really what was happening because of his young hybrid age-and soon was gripping Ryan's shoulders as the other pounded into him. The red ranger growled happily and nuzzled the others neck making Ryan snarl and then lean forward and sink his own fangs into Carter's neck making him howl his name out loud. A second or even eternity could have passed and neither one of them really knew but when the moment had passed, they were staring into each other's eyes as they panted to get their breath back.

Ryan leant down and nuzzled their noses together and smiled down at the younger creature warmly kissing him sweetly, he knew that despite the passionate bonding the two of them had just been through Carter still needed to be taken care of with a tender hand and heart-he was too new to be dealt with like a normal demonic bond mate in which they would ignore the other until the lust got to be too much for the other. "I'm right here" he whispered breaking the kiss.

The red ranger nodded and let Ryan roll off of him so they could quickly dress-even if their clothes were ripped, bloody and dirty it was better than nothing-and then the titanium ranger pulled his red leader down so he could curl up next to his side and kissed him on the top of the head trying to ignored the fanged bite mark on Carter's shoulder, it had been months since his fangs had made themselves known and for the most part he had forgotten he was a Hybrid at all so the fact they had come out and he had marked Carter without meaning too made everything just that little bit worse fort the two of them.

"Ryan" Carter said suddenly startling the other out of his inner thoughts "Thank you…for everything, taking care of me all this time" he whispered and then nuzzled his chest a little more "You were there when I falter, you're the reason I'm gonna get through this"

Swallowing tightly at the affection that raised for the red ranger-that wasn't his demon side that was completely human-and was about to say something when he heard the even breathing of the tired ranger in his arms and felt a small smile work its way onto his face. He might have been raised evil and he might sometimes forget that he was now fighting against the armies he had spent so long fighting alongside with but at that moment he had never felt more content in the knowledge that in the whole world at least Carter trusted him enough to call him when he fell down or would want to fall asleep in his arms.

Nuzzling Carter's hair once more Ryan shifted to become just a little more comfortable on the ground and let out a peaceful sigh "I'll never leave you Carter" he whispered before he slipped into a peaceful rest.

**Read and review please feedback is appreciated **


	8. So Who Are You

**Right here it is...you know i don't really have any clue where this is going at the moment, but it's interesting huh, i mean i've just smashed Lightspeed for the fun of it: sigh this is what time and Slash does to ones mind along with an overactive imagination.  
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**Chapter 8-Weapon**

While he had earned the favor of the leader of the Lightspeed Rescue unit and was now on friendly terms with the other rangers-hell he was even beginning to treat Dana like an actual sister-Ryan wasn't stupid, he wasn't oblivious to the looks he got from the rest of the people working on the Aqua base. He knew what they thought of him, knew what they saw him as, what they said about him when they believed he wasn't listening or that he couldn't hear. He was to them nothing but a demon Hybrid who had come over from the enemies side to fight with the morpher he had previously stolen from them in the first place: to them he was nothing but something to use during battle, he was the Titanium Ranger: he was a weapon.

It wasn't that bad as it's not really like Diabolico thought of him as anything different but Ryan couldn't help but be slightly stung by their hushed whispers and the way they tried to hide their distrust and even in some cases their dislike for him with sweet smiles and kind words when he was in their vicinity. At least when he was living with the demons he knew where he stood he knew what they thought of him, knew that to them he was nothing more than something to use at their disposal a tool, a weapon for their convenience.

He could still remember vividly when he had learnt what most of the base had thought of him, he had just been making his way back from the gym from where he had just been schooling Joel in the finer points of flipping when he had overheard two female control operators in the break room mention his name. When he had crept to the door to listen he had heard them at first praising his form and how strong he was which had made him grin and feel like he belonged a little more and that he was accepted by the people he was fighting to protect every day with his fellow rangers, but then his good mood had vanished when he had heard what they had said after that, they had begun saying they were happy they had him under control and that when they had killed Diabolico he was probably going to be put in confinement because of his Hybrid status.

This blatant disregard for his feelings and well being had hit him hard and Ryan had actually had to go sit in his room for several hours-ignoring calls from his father and the team-until Carter had come and curled up with him and everything had become okay again. After that day Ryan had kept an ear and eye out from people who were talking about him and soon found that the only people who really respected him any at all on the aqua base where the people he interacted with every damn day: so that was his team, Captain Mitchell-he couldn't say dad no matter how hard he tried-and his medics. That was a small circle and for a long time it had hurt to know he couldn't go anywhere on the base without being watched by someone.

But slowly that pain lessened and he soon embraced that feeling of being a weapon and furthered himself to be the best damn weapon he could for the safety of his actual friends-especially his mate who he would die for if given the choice-and he was soon fighting stronger and holding his own against wave and wave of warriors who would normally give Ryan trouble even with his added powers. Whenever he was congratulated by someone who wasn't in his small circle of genuine friends he never took it to heart knowing that they weren't actually thanking him for a job well done but actually going through the motions as he in their eyes was doing his job in protecting them.

That of course didn't mean that when Carter crawled into his bed that night to give him a proper thank you that he was at all ungrateful with his weapon status because when the red ranger thanked him it was another thing entirely, when Carter and him laid panting and spent on his black sheets he couldn't help but smile happily knowing that his mate loved him enough to risk his job to give him a gift like that. Having a mate wasn't something Ryan had ever thought he would ever take but now that he had Carter and he saw the bite mark he unknowing marked the other with when they mated for the first time he was overwhelm with the emotions and pure affection he felt for the younger hybrid who would always greet him with a kind loving smile when a kiss was out of the question.

That was why he hadn't blinked once when he had jumped in front of Carter to protect him when Vypra had tried to attack the red ranger and pull him back into a torture room where they could once again try to tear the red ranger down, which was why he was now sitting in a very familiar metal chair gagged and chained to a chair while the venomous demon strutted around him with a thoughtful expression on her face-which scared him more than when she was sneering if he was being perfectly honest with himself.

All his life Ryan had known Vypra as his sister/mother figure and he knew that she was downright evil to the core and that it would only take one little slip up for the viper like demoness to realize his new affections for Carter and to use that as a hold on him. There was a reason while Diabolico left his teaching of Torture up to Vypra: she was the best. There wasn't a better demon torturer around and everyone knew, when Vypra went in with a victim everyone knew that the horrible demon would get her answers and many actually felt sympathetic to the poor creature that was going to be facing Vypra and her toxic aura-not that he had gotten any sympathy no all he had gotten when he had been dragged into the room was sneers and he was sure one of the demons he had helped train at one point had glared at him the entire time he was being dragged into the room.

Ryan sat in his chair breathing heavily trying to block the pain of the acidic poison that was lacing his cuts that Vypra had shallowly inflicted on him, this was probably the worst part of the female inquisitors method, the way she managed to inflict so much pain without spilling hardly any blood, he knew that every one of her blades was coated in a thin layer of her non-fatal poisons that he knew wouldn't kill him only give him extreme waves of pain-like it was doing at that moment. The toxic demon paused and turned to look at him thoughtfully for a moment before she picked up a beautiful blade that Ryan knew was her favorite weapon of choice.

Not wanting to be the one to speak-or scream-first Ryan locked his jaw tight when he saw that Vypra had dipped the blade in a large bowl of blackish orange liquid that coated the metal of the blade like it was a second skin staining the once pristine metal an ugly color that reminded Ryan of the black blood of a demon mixed in with the flesh of another, not the most pleasant colors and images for him to imagine when he is trying to stop the pain that is flowing through him at that moment, but hey he was raised by demons can you blame him?

"Ryan…I never thought I would be doing this" Vypra said in a conversational tone almost as if she was talking about the weather while gesturing all around her even with her knife "least of all too you" she added in a fake disappointed voice.

The hybrid refused to say anything even when Vypra strode around him and ran the tip of her blade down his back lightly breaking his skin any way with how sharp the blade had been made. Clenching his teeth against the scream that was threatening to break out from behind his teeth Ryan felt the burning pain of the poison enter his bloodstream and arched his back against the chair while Vypra drew a strange pattern on the skin of his back. Even though he knew she wasn't putting any pressure on the blade whatsoever Ryan knew that Vypra was scarring him with whatever she was drawing.

"You can scream you know" she said simply before gripping his hair and yanking it back baring his throat meeting his eyes which had widened in fear slightly with her own narrowed evil reptilian gaze. "I hear it helps with the pain!" she hissed dragging the blade down the skin of his back again this time causing his muffled scream to be louder and his back to arch uncomfortable off the metal chair almost bending so far that Ryan thought it might break at one point.

Smirking happily Vypra released the grip she had on his hair and walked over to her table of tools again and pulled herself up on it and watched him as he breathed heavily trying to control all the pain running through his body "you…bitch" he said through raggered breath which in turn made Vypra laugh.

Ryan glared and tried to ignore the feeling of blood dripping down his back that was beginning to pool at the waist of his pants while she smiled at him almost in victory. "So you can talk" she said making him clench his teeth at the smug tone in her voice "I was afraid I'd never hear that pretty little voice of yours again" she said happily.

"Bite me" he snarled pulling on his restraints as he tried to leap at the girl on the table in front of him whose eyes lit up in excitement meaning that he had given her exactly what she wanted-not that he really cared at that moment.

Vypra walked over to him and grabbed him mouth and leant down and smiled "See that was what I was looking for" she said viciously as her claws dug into the skin of his face making him snarl and bare his demon fangs that had formed as his anger had grown "See this" she said holding up her other hand which she had at some point covered in a thin layer of his blood which was pooled at his back "This is half demon: you belong to us" she said flinging him back in his seat which made him snarl in pain.

Hearing her refer to him as a belonging made Ryan snarl once again almost vicious as the last few months of being the Lightspeed rescue weapon came flying back at him making him snarl a little louder than he was used to which actually made Vypra pause and Ryan inwardly curse: the bitch had found her leverage. "Oh you have a problem about that" she said with amusement lacing her voice.

"I'm no one's weapon" he snarled pulling on his metal cuff again making the demoness laugh and then lean down an arch an eyebrow at him.

Looking him up and down with a critical eye Vypra smirked and patted his cheek again not even phased when he pulled back violently "Oh really" she said pulling back while he just leveled his glare at her dangerously "Who are you then?"

"My mate"

Both Ryan and Vypra spun to look at the door way where Carter was resting against the door frame lazily while his eyes glowed dangerously and his hands were stained with blood, some of which Ryan could smell was human and the other demon-not good Carter had faltered again. If the venomous demon who was the whole reason Carter was a Hybrid in the first place was shocked to see the creature that was practically her child standing before her telling her that the other hybrid she was torturing was his mate then she didn't show it in fact she walked over to Carter and looked into his eyes.

After a moment Vypra giggled happily and stroked Carter's face making a rumble in Ryan's chest rise up, no one touched his mate but him: no one! "Let go of me" Carter said and then stepped into the room past his maker and towards Ryan who seemed to drink in the sight of his mate happily his gaze focusing on his neck almost immediately.

"Well seems like little Ryan has a mate after all" Vypra said coyly as she watched Carter pull the restraints off the other Hybrid and look at her with a dark gaze "What, I just never thought he'd take one"

Ryan snarled and tried to get at the older demon only to be held back by Carter who shook his head "What?" he said in confusion, Ryan wanted to kill her, really he wanted to rip Vypra's face off but Carter was making that impossible "Why can't I hurt her?" he asked sounding like a kid who was just refused the last cookie.

The red ranger looked back at Vypra who was smiling smugly and then back at Ryan whose whole demeanor screamed that he was totally confused "Because the deal I made with Diabolico was that I could come in and take you from her so long as no harm came to his general" he said softly making Ryan freeze.

His Carter had talked to Diabolico not only that but had made a deal with the demon lord and that was just too scary for the older Hybrid, he needed to get Carter out of there before he was forced to go up against the other demon generals that lived there and fought for the high lord himself. "Okay" he whispered as the pain begun to flow through his body "Take me home, I want to go home" he said softly making Carter smile and then lead him out the door and pass Vypra who just watched them go silently unable to make any comments about how sweet they were mostly because she could see the demon mate bond between them and she actually found their relationship awing: the two of them were willing to go to any lengths to protect one another.

Vypra smiled as the two Hybrids disappeared from view and begun to clean her tools that she had recently used: she hoped they survived the oncoming war or the both of them would die at the same time, because when she had just watched them she had made the conclusion that one of them couldn't live the other, it was just the way it was.

**Reviews are much appreciated: please? **


	9. I Never Knew

**Hey there peoples, very excited about this chapter-mostly because it marks the seconds last chapter. Thank you to everyone reading my work it means a lot to me and for everyone who Favorited this and alerted it: thanks for keeping the Ryan/Carter slash alive.  
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_**Chapter**** 9****-Jealousy**_

Many people described envy or jealousy as a 'green eyed monster' but when Ryan looked at the other rangers and saw how much more respected and better treated they were compared to the way he was treated it sort of made him wonder if in fact the best way to describe Jealousy was just to tack his name and picture next to it. It wasn't even that he was being treated like a weapon: he was over that, and he had learnt his lesson about feeling sorry for himself over that aspect of his life when he had been kidnapped by Vypra and tortured for what he had found out was actually three days.

No he was more jealous of the fact that he had to stand around and watch his teammates get fawned over and praised for doing the same work that he did on a daily basis while he got a quick nod and an even quicker 'good job'. He knew that Carter was aware of how he felt about the matter and that he was trying to get the others to show him a little bit more respect the only problem was that now the news of his own Hybrid status was well known around the base even the red ranger was beginning to be treated poorly: it wasn't like the way they treated him it was more that when he entered the room everyone would need a few moments to process it before they were well and truly able to embrace the leading ranger and that was in Ryan's mind the worst thing that could have ever happened to the fire fighter.

Carter had once been the most respected and loved Ranger on the Lightspeed Rescue team but now all because of him that respect and awe that the other had once held for him was now gone. When he had told the red ranger his theory on why he was being treated the way he was now and that he blamed himself Ryan had never seen Carter react so fiercely or protectively as the way he had in that moment. He had always known that Carter was a kind but strong willed man-the way he had stared down Vypra had sort of showed that-but in that moment he had never seen such force and strength in another person before.

Carter had pulled him in close and then said that he could never say anything like that again and that if it was anyone's fault it Diabolico's and that they would deal with the judgements together as a team. That was the moment that Ryan knew without a doubt he was in love with the red ranger and that scared him more than any battle would: he was alien to love, he didn't even love his father and sister with the same amount of emotion and feeling that he felt when he was around Carter, and that was wrong wasn't it? Shouldn't his blood come first and then his mate, in demon communities it was always clan first and when a mate came into the picture they had a blood exchanging ceremony to make them clan but as a hybrid-or in his family's case human-that wasn't possible to be done.

Glancing around him at the rec room around him-the one where he had been left alone in when the other occupants had left as soon as he had entered-Ryan sighed and rubbed his neck tiredly, he just wanted to be accepted somewhere: the demons had been okay and had accepted him half way-being a Hybrid meant he would have never been completely accepted no matter how much he impressed them-but at Lightspeed he felt like such an outsider that it actually hurt a little. Shaking his head the titanium ranger leapt to his feet and then turned some music so that he could work out to.

One thing he didn't miss about the demon lair was that he couldn't listen to music when he trained and that was one thing he was very good at. Something about the beats and the rhythm of the music would help him with his form, it made him move more fluid like he was the song itself. When the pulsing loud beat flooded the room Ryan couldn't stop the grin that stretched across his face and then happily settled back into his usual fighting pose, taking a deep breath he launched forward and began to move through each of his moves unaware of the eyes that were watching him carefully.

Back flipping when the next move called for it Ryan was able to spot Carter watching him in awe and slight envy from his place at the door way, landing the flip perfectly he turned to smile at Carter who smiled back at him nervously. He knew that since his torture at Vypra's hands Carter had been scared that he was going to collapse and fall into a mess which he was sure would be normal for a human that had been through the same things but he just couldn't do it, the main reason was because he didn't react like a normal human, for one he had been introduced to those types of interrogation when he was a lot younger and while it was harder being in the seat rather than watching it instead the acts themselves couldn't make Ryan break-that was why Vypra had taken such fun in hurting him.

When he had explained that to Carter he had known that the red ranger had gotten shocked that he had said it so bluntly but the fact was that being raised by demons had given him a lot more advantages over the humans he had been raised by and that wasn't him being mean. No matter how hard Carter or anyone else tried to make him reject his demon heritage the fact was it was that demonic raising that had gotten him through some of the hardest times in his life, and after that stunt with Vypra he knew that Carter had accepted that, even tried to act a little more demon like because of his new Hybrid status.

The times when he got to teach Carter about his past and how being raised by a demon worked and what affectionate in demon terms meant were some of the more amusing times in their relationship and yet at the same time Ryan looked at those times as terrible twist of fate: Carter shouldn't have to learn that kind of stuff just to make him feel better and he knew in some small part of his mind that it was his fault that the red ranger had to. Motioning Carter over to him the other man strode over and pulled him in a tight hug nuzzling the side of his neck slightly in a way that just screamed to the other Hybrid that his mate was upset-and that made him put on edge.

"Carter…what happened" he asked softly his voice so soft in fact that if the red ranger didn't have amazing hearing then he doubted the other boy would have been able to hear him at all.

Shaking his head sadly the newer Hybrid tried to burying his face into his neck and take comfort in the one constant that would always be with him from now on, but unlike a normal person who would have played this off and allowed Carter to just ignore the question and leave it unanswered Ryan wouldn't and instead ran a hand up and down the red ranger's spine in a comforting move that he knew made his mate relax and then began whispering in Demon to calm him down even further. "Come now my _lijepo jednoga_ tell me what's wrong I can't help you otherwise"

Carter seemed to get that his mate wasn't going to let this go and sighed against the skin of his neck and then fully relaxed in his arms making him feel like a weight Ryan had to hold up. "I never realized what you were saying was completely true" he whispered confusing the other ranger a little and the pitiful voice his usually strong and courageous mate was using.

"What happened?" he asked carefully his voice slow and almost commanding as he lowered the two of them to the mats beneath their feet.

A moment passed and Carter sighed and sat back to look him the eye so he could speak a faint sad shadow now murking the once clear and bright eyes that had always captivated Ryan with how bright they were despite what they had seen. "The crew" he said simply his voice almost as resigned as Ryan's was when he was upset with the Lightspeed rescue team.

Growling deep in his throat Ryan had to hold in his more demonic side so that it didn't lash out and attack Carter in the fury that he was feeling. He could put up with getting the stares and the rumors hell he could even deal with the looks of disgust, he was used to it, he had lived with that kind of treatment until he was able to gain the demon's respect, but Carter hadn't. He'd grown up in a loving family, grown up to be a fire fighter where he became respected and quite well liked even thought of as a role model a leader: someone to aspire towards. Then he had come to the Lightspeed program and become the red ranger which while still just a normal ranger came with the honor and responsibility of being the leader of the team the one the people looked to when they needed guidance or a comforting aura, he had been respected and loved for being the red ranger and yet now all because of circumstances where he was forced to become a Hybrid the people who had once loved him now thought of him as nothing better than the things they were fighting so hard to defeat.

"Explain" he said once he had reined his more killer instincts in earning him a happy and pleased smile from his mate who was always going on about how much better his control was these days and how he was so proud of every little time he got just that little bit better.

Glancing around almost to check if anyone was coming Carter then locked eyes with Ryan with his sad eyes that the titanium ranger hoped to turn happy once more before opening his mouth to speak. "I was walking pass the control room and these two watch keepers didn't know I was there and they started talking about how I was a waste of resources having to be monitored all the time to see if I'd turn on them and that they would rather put a bullet through my head when I sleep" he said his voice seemingly strong and firm, but Ryan was raised to find the cracks in people and the slight wavering in his voice showed Ryan just how close to tears his lover really was.

"I mean I always knew they wouldn't react that well to my being a Hybrid but I thought they'd still accept me for me" he said his breath hitching a little with the effort he was using to keep his tears at bay.

Ryan made a distress whine and then reached forward and ran a hand through his hair hoping to give the other some comfort in that way, as all his instincts screamed at him to abandon whatever anger and fury he had towards his mate's tormentors and instead comfort his lover who was so obviously in pain just a few inches away from him. "I am so sorry" he whispered as he cupped Carter's cheek with his palm "I wish I could've warned you just that little bit better"

The red ranger shook his head and laid his own hand on Ryan's and gave him a tearful smile that had Ryan's heart leaping and beating faster "Don't be, you've done nothing wrong" he said and then laid a small kiss to the palm of his hand as his gaze turn smouldering "You know what they can be jealous all they want" he said huskily.

"Jealous?" Ryan asked weakly as he swallowed the desire that had just hit him like a wave.

Carter nodded and moved forward so he was now straddling his mate's lap and licking the junction where the neck met the shoulder, which he knew through their many nightly activities, was a weak spot of Ryan's. "Yeah I mean I am the one with the sexiest man on the base as their devoted mate" he whispered in his ear.

Having enough of his mate's teasing touches Ryan flipped them over until he was hovering above Carter and then bent down and kissed him hungrily, he knew that others wouldn't understand the ways demons comforted each other and would most probably find it weird that somehow they had gone from talking about their feelings to trying to rip one another's clothes off but Ryan couldn't help but agree with his mate: let them be jealous.

**One last chapter after this: review please!**


	10. I'll Alway Be By Your Side

**Here we go, the final chapter of Fire and Demon, hope you all liked reading this almost as much as i liked writing it. I'm not really sure when the next installment of Bonds will be up, I've got a lot coming up personally and i have to focus on my other projects so i hope all of you will stick with me while i try to sort out the chaos that is my life. Happy reading.  
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_**Chapter 10-Be By My Side**_

When he first found out the Diabolico was gone, that he had been killed by someone he had regarded as useless creature that his Queen Bansheera and then of course Vypra were smitten with all Ryan could feel was amusement: he had always warned his 'father' about the baby demon and the power it held which would lead to his downfall if not careful. But then after a week or so that amusement faded and was replaced by fear as he realized what his fellow teammates did not: this demon had been able to take down a demon lord that had sat on the throne for hundreds of years and had inspired fear in many, that could only mean that this new demon was just as bad maybe even worse on some levels and that had made his amusement quickly turn into dread.

Carter seemed to have the same understanding because when the older Hybrid saw his mate a week after the announcement that Diabolico was no longer alive the red ranger had come into the mess looking paler than Ryan had ever seen him before-and he had looked after the red ranger when he had been poisoned which meant that was saying something-and when he had confronted his lover about it the red ranger had told him that he knew how strong Diabolico was that the demon kings blood ran through his veins like a virus he could never scrub clean and that if he only held a fraction of his power and sometimes felt like the power was going to overwhelm him then how much power would it take to kill him?

Before that conversation Ryan had been a little worried but when Carter had confirmed his fears-and then some-his fear had turned into full blown terror: how could they destroy something that had easily killed the demon that they had been struggling to kill for so long, it didn't seem possible and yet the other members of the team and of Lightspeed base didn't seem to have gotten the memo that this wasn't the best thing to have happened to them in fact it could most probably be one of the worst things to have happened to them.

When he had gone to his father with his worries-it was still really weird to believe that he had a father who loved him instead of what he had been lead to believe his whole life-the great Captain Mitchell had said that he was thinking about it too hard and that he should join in with his teammates and relax. Of course after that he had tried to talk to his sister who had brushed him off-she was still a bit bitter that he was the one that ended up with Carter he could tell-and told him to stopping worrying and if not then to leave her alone so he didn't put a dampen on her good mood. After that he didn't even bother trying to tell the other rangers and instead became a sentry and took watch over Carter who seemed to be going through withdraws or something without the constant presence of his blood donor still alive.

He himself had been through a similar withdraw when he had first felt Diabolico leave this plain of life, but he was lucky considering he had more of Queen Bansheera's blood running through his veins than Carter who had more of the demon kings running through his own. His withdraw had made him sick for a day or two and had made him a little weak for a few hours but Carter-who was still a baby in Hybrid time-hadn't been able to drag himself out of bed since he had revealed his fears for him and he had been running a fever that not even Vypra's poisoning attempt had been able to produce. When Ryan had first seen his Mate when his withdraw had begun he had almost felt his heart stop in fear at the image his lover had made.

It was shattering to see the man in that state once again: covered in sweat breathing heavily while holding back groans of pain that were wracking his body what was worse was when he had tried to comfort his lover the red ranger had to force his way past him into the bathroom so he could heave what little he had eaten in the past few hours into the toilet while he could only sit by his side and rub his back comfortingly humming lightly while Carter gripped the porcelain bowl like it was a lifeline. As he watched his mate fight his body Ryan could only hope that maybe his own body wouldn't react the same way once the Queen Demon finally died because he didn't think he would be able to deal with the about of pain that Carter seemed to be going through and still keep his sanity.

Once Carter seemed to feel good enough that he could be moved back to his bed Ryan hadn't wasted anytime and quickly hoisted the younger Hybrid up into his arms and placed him on the bunk lightly before crawling into the bed with his mate so that Carter could snuggle up next to him and take what little comfort he could give him-although in Ryan's mind a small bit of comfort was better than none-and if the way Carter sighed in relief was any sign of just how well he was comforting his lover then he was doing a great job of it.

The two of them sat in total silence that if they had been anyone else would have been very uncomfortable, but that was one of the best things about their relationship in Ryan's mind: they were so at ease with one another, there was no fuss, no problems and they didn't need words to convey anything, they didn't need to fill in the gaps with mindless chatter and were perfectly content with just sitting in pure silence and just being with the other. It had been three days since Carter had first gotten to the withdrawal stage of his bond with Diabolico and now the red ranger was at the worst of his state and hadn't been able to leave his bed let alone his room so Ryan was once again lying on the red ranger's bed with the sick hybrid curled up on his chest.

Leaning down to nuzzle Carter's hair to try and quell the whimpering that Carter had unknowingly started only a few moments ago Ryan began to hum the demon lullaby that Vypra had always sung to him-you'd think that the same Lullaby that had helped changed him into a Hybrid which was the whole reason he was in this mess wouldn't give Carter comfort but then again Carter was a little strange-while pressing a kiss to Carter's freshly cropped hair. When he had seen the shorn haircut that Carter was now sporting he had felt his heart almost stop beating, he had always liked Carter's hair, he liked playing with it when they laid together, but then the red ranger had told him he had wanted to change it because he wasn't the old Carter anymore and needed to show the others that.

"I'm scared" Carter whimpered out suddenly shocking Ryan more than anything, it had been so long since Carter had actually said anything, normally all they did was lay together not saying a word.

But ever the respectable demon he was Ryan didn't falter for long and soon pulled back so that he could gaze into Carter's pain muddled eyes that were gazing back at him sadly "What are you scared of my love" he said foregoing the demon compliment, despite how much Carter had learnt since becoming a Hybrid the young man hadn't really learnt that much and Ryan didn't want to stress the sick boy out even more.

Carter buried his face into his chest that little more and sighed in what sounded like contentment before he opened his mouth to talk "I'm going to lose you" he said shocking the older Hybrid into silence-a rare thing-before he gathered all his strength and leaning up to look up in Ryan's eyes once more "I don't know what I would do if you weren't here with me Ryan"

If he wasn't sure that he was in love with Carter before Ryan was pretty sure that lying there with the sick ranger curled up next to him telling him that he'd be lost with him that he was irrevocably and undeniably in love with the red ranger. "Carter you're never going to have to find that out" he said softly leaning down to place a sweet kiss on his forehead "Because I'm never going to leave you" he whispered against the burning skin of his mate's fevered forehead.

"What if this new demon kills you" Carter said his voice weak and fear laced making Ryan smile sadly.

He knew that since Carter was unable to go into battle that he was terrified that he himself wouldn't come back-which was stupid in Ryan's mind but he could understand because he had felt the same way whenever he had seen Carter leave his side during battle. It wasn't completely unfathomable that this new demon lord would kill him; hell if it really came down to it and Vypra got the opening she needed, the poisonous demoness could kill him-scary thought.

Chuckling lightly and nodding he placed his hand over Carter's heart which gained him a questioning glance from the red ranger who he just kissed lightly on the lips "I could die in battle like a glorious warrior" he whispered leaning his much cooler forehead against the flushed skin of his lover and nuzzled their noses together "But I would much rather prefer to die by your side together"

Carter smiled and closed his eyes and leant forward to kiss him lightly which was shocking because since he had begun his withdrawal phase Carter had been less physically affectionate but Ryan still leant into the kiss a little taking what he could get. "I love you" carter whispered making Ryan's heart swell.

Despite the two of them being Mate's and Carter wearing his mark for everyone to see neither one of them had said those three little words to one another, it wasn't that they didn't it was more he didn't really know how to say the words and he kinda got the feeling that Carter was a little insecure about that kind of thing so hearing Carter say it made him suck up his own courage "I love you too" he whispered making Carter beam up at him and then kiss him with a little more force.

While the renewed vigor was pleasant and Ryan would love to take what Carter was so blatantly offering, the older Hybrid knew that his lover wasn't quite up to that kind of activity which was why he detached himself from the kiss earning him a confused and almost hurt look from Carter "I want this" he quickly explained smiling at the other lovingly-which in turn made Carter blush a little-before cupping Carter's cheek tenderly "You have no idea how much I'd want to…but I know you can't"

Carter looked up at him shock and then looked down at the floor almost as if he was ashamed "I just wanted to give you something…for staying by my side" he whispered making Ryan chuckle and then pull him down to rest against his chest kissing the top of his head lovingly.

"Silly Hybrid" he said as Carter snuggled down into his side trying to capture the warmth that Ryan radiated "I love you…I don't need anything as payment for doing this" Ryan said tilting the others face up so he could look deeply into his eyes which were glowing with affection that the titanium ranger knew was directed at him. "Carter I love you and I want you to be by my side forever do you understand that?"

The red ranger nodded and then cupped Ryan's cheek lovingly "I understand…we have an everlasting bond" he whispered as Ryan leant into the touch slightly "And Ryan: I'll stay by your side, if you swear to stay by mine"

Ryan leaned forward and pressed his forehead to his mates and gazed right into Carter's "I swear"

**Read and Review please: it's the final chapter. **


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